The course consists in lessons, in which the theoretical topics are dealt with, along with numerical examples and exercises, during which special problems will be solved, and experimental tests will be carried on, both in the field and in the laboratory to better understand how things work in practice.

At the end of the course students will be able to understand the main principles of building physics and comfort (under the thermal, hygrometric and indoor air quality points of view).
They will know the methodologies to predict by numerical simulation and disaggregate from experimental data typical energy terms in buildings uses.
They will also be able to evaluate, design and apply the best available techniques in order to design more energy efficient and comfortable buildings, both at a design stage and in retrofitting existing ones.

Basic knowledge about Physics, Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, and Thermal installations (HVAC systems) are required.

The following topics will be studied:

1. Indoor environment: thermal comfort. Human body balance. Fanger’s theory: PMV and PPD indices. Local discomfort. ISO 7730 and EN 15251 Standards. Main principles of adaptive comfort

2. Energy demand of a building. Components of energy balance in heating and cooling conditions: transmission and ventilation losses; internal and solar gains. Climate data (temperature, solar radiation,..) and parameters: degree-days base 20°C and modified ones.

3. The European Directive on energy efficiency in buildings (EPBD and EPBD recast), National regulations and Energy certification schemes. Analysis and use of UNI/TS 11300 for heating and cooling conditions. Dynamic factors and simplified methods for heating and air conditioning energy demand calculations. The concept of coefficient of utilization of free heat/losses.

4. Hour by hour dynamic calculation methods. Use of Design Builder Code.

5. Thermal bridges. Glaser Diagram and condensation risks on walls surfaces and inside them. Optimal thermal insulation.

6. Airborne gaseous and aerosol contaminants. Outdoor urban pollutants of concern: health effects and measurements techniques. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Perceived air quality. Contaminants. Sources of pollution. Emission rates.

7. Control of IAQ by dilution and removal. Ventilation strategies (mixing, displacement).Indoor environmental input parameters for the design and assessment of ventilation systems. Approaches for achieving IAQ classes to comply with EN 16798 series.

8. Control technologies for particulate matter. Inertial and electrostatic precipitators. Fibrous gas filtration and particle capture mechanisms. Air flow resistance and energy consequences of air filter use.

9. Audit and monitoring of existing buildings. Benchmark definition. Field monitoring of building components and installations. Main data to be collected. Sensors and measuring apparatus.

10. Building Retrofits. Actions on building envelope. Economic and environmental evaluation of retrofit actions. Ranking of solutions.

11. Energy efficient new buildings, complying with new standards and regulations. Integration of RES towards a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB)

12. Energy balance of a city. Main factors: natural energy flows and human-related energy flows. The Urban Heat Island effect. Causes and remedies. Thermal comfort in outdoor environment.

Numerical exercises will be proposed in order to apply the concepts and methodologies explained during the lessons.

Moreover, experimental work will be carried on, such as:

• In situ experimental evaluation and assessment of thermal comfort

• In situ experimental evaluation of air tightness using the Blower door and of air change rates using the tracer gas method

• Laboratory Filter performance assessment

• Notes from the authors
• Baruch Givoni, Man, Climate and Architecture, Elsevier, 1969
• ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals, ASHRAE,2013
• Moncef Krarti, Energy audit of building systems: an engineering approach, Boca Raton: CRC, 2000
• J.A. Clarke, Energy simulation in building design, 2nd ed., Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann, 2001
• Peter Gevorkian, Sustainable energy systems engineering: the complete green building design resource, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006
• Peter Gevorkian, Sustainable energy systems in architectural design: a blueprint for green building, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006
• Hinds W.C., "Aerosol Technology: Properties, Behavior, and Measurement of Airborne Particles", Wiley, 1999.
• Seinfeld J.H., Pandis S.N., "Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, from Air Pollution to Climate Change", Wiley, 2016.

1. EXERCISE BOOK
During the course a number of exercises are carried on, concerning both numerical elaborations and experimental tests. These exercises have to be solved and collected into an "Exercise Book" (EB). The EB is considered the necessary proof of having attended the course, and has to be posted on the course portal at least one day before the exam, or handed to the teacher the day of the exam, to be allowed to take it.

2. WRITTEN EXAM
The exam will consist of
• a written test containing a number (in the order of 8-10) of questions requiring an open answer, and short numerical exercises.
• An oral discussion concerning the EB


3. MARKS
• The written exam will allow to achieve maximum 20/30 marks. Students receiving a mark below 10 will not be admitted to the oral discussion concerning the EB. They may come to the next session of exams, handing in the EB to the teacher once more.
• The discussion on the content of the EB will aim at verifying its content and the student’s understanding of it. It will allow to achieve maximum 10/30 points. Students not reaching at least 6 points will have to come back and repeat also the written test.